Civil Service

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what definition of "rural" is used when dispersing civil service jobs.

Tavish Scott: The Executive’s relocation policy does not target rural areas and therefore does not use a definition of rural.

  In 2002, the Executive announced a new strand of its relocation policy covering small location-independent units of work. It does not, however, propose to adopt a rigid definition of "rural" in applying the small units policy. Posts might be relocated to small communities across Scotland where employment opportunities are harder to find. As with the main relocation policy, decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Our expectation is that the locations benefiting from this initiative will generally be remote from Scotland’s main conurbations and the economic opportunities they provide.

Civil Service

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what weighting it gives to deprivation indicators when dispersing civil service jobs.

Tavish Scott: The Executive recommends to the bodies undertaking relocation reviews that the highest weighting of 50% is allocated to socio-economic factors which is a measure of its determination to assist disadvantaged areas in Scotland.

  In carrying out location reviews potential location areas are based on an analysis of key location criteria such as social and economic considerations, business efficiency (including the position of staff), sustainable transport links/accessibility, and property availability/suitability.

  The socio-economic factors which may be considered include employment, under-employment and unemployment levels, economic activity, the Index of Area Deprivation and the level of public sector employment.

Doctors

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes are in place to enable and encourage doctors to return to practice after career breaks.

Malcolm Chisholm: The doctors retainer scheme helps to re-introduce general practitioners back into general practice following a career break. GP retainees are employed by suitable training practices as assistants and can work up to four half day sessions per week. The retainer scheme can last for a period of up to five years following which time the retainee is expected to consider becoming a GP principal.

  There is also the golden hello scheme which aims to attract newly qualified GPs into general practices and also GPs wishing to return to general practice following a career break. The scheme offers a range of incentive payments.

  For other grades of doctors who are in training, they would approach the Postgraduate Dean of Director of Postgraduate General Practice, who would provide career advice and, subject to available funding, these doctors would be placed in supernumeracy placements to regain confidence and then compete with other doctors to enter a training programme of their choice.

  For consultants, they would approach their Postgraduate Dean and, dependant on how long the doctor has been out of practice, would be placed on a programme to re-orientate them back into practice.

Doctors

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to enable doctors to return to practice after career breaks.

Malcolm Chisholm: Funding is available under the terms of the doctors retainer scheme which is aimed at re-introducing GPs back into general practice following a career break. Retainees receive a salary from their employing practice who in turn are re-imbursed, currently at the rate of £53.80 per half day. The retainee also receives an annual retainer fee of £300 to help meet the costs of educational courses and subscription to medical journals.

  The golden hello scheme is designed to attract newly qualified GPs into general practice and also GPs returning to general practice by offering a package of incentive payments. Under the terms of the scheme GPs can receive a payment of £5,000 on taking up a new post. Further payments of between £2,500 and £7,500 are also available if the post is in a remote and rural are or a deprived area of Scotland.

  For doctors in training or doctors who are fully qualified, they would normally approach their Postgraduate Dean or Director of Postgraduate General Practice Education who would, subject to available funding through NHS Education for Scotland, arrange training or placements on an individual basis.

Domestic Abuse

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has given to the recommendation for women who have been victims of domestic violence to be housed in purpose-built refuges containing single occupancy flats, communal areas and a children's room contained in the University of Glasgow's Department of Urban Studies report Refuges for Women, Children and Young People.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive has accepted the recommendations in the report Refuges for Women, Children and Young People . It has already provided £12 million, through Communities Scotland, to either build or purchase new refuges or adapt, extend and upgrade existing ones. The programme has given priority to the development of new build self-contained flats with communal facilities.

Domestic Abuse

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will cost the implementation of recommendations contained in the University of Glasgow's Department of Urban Studies report Refuges for Women, Children and Young People .

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive is currently in the process of completing the £12 million Domestic Abuse Refuge Development Programme, provided through Communities Scotland. This programme of funding was developed to either build or purchase new refuges or adapt, extend and upgrade existing ones. Once this funding programme has been completed the Scottish Executive will consider what further action is required.

Enterprise

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided to develop the creative industry cluster in each year since 2001; where these funds have been invested, and what outcomes have been achieved.

Mr Frank McAveety: The information requested is given in the Scottish Enterprise information paper ‘Digital Media and Creative Industries ("DMCI")’ a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29746).

Enterprise

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided to develop the food and drink cluster in each year since 2001; where these funds have been invested, and what outcomes have been achieved.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish food and drink cluster, which led to the Scottish food and drink strategy, is a Scottish Enterprise initiative, facilitated and co-ordinated by them and supported by the Scottish Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

  Since 2001, Scottish Enterprise has provided the following funding towards this strategy:

  

 Year
 Total Funding


 2001-02
 £2.8 million


 2002-03
 £2.9 million


 2003-04
 £2.5 million



  Information on the allocation of these funds and the outcomes achieved are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise. To obtain this information you should contact Robert Crawford, Chief Executive.

  In support of the Scottish food and drink strategy, the Scottish Executive, under its food processing and marketing grant schemes, has over the same period provided the following support to 245 food processing projects which will deliver £152 million new investment in the industry. These projects are expected to create 1,500 new jobs:

  

 Year
 Total Funding


 2001-02
 £12.07 million


 2002-03
 £12.70 million


 2003-04
 £10.37 million

Fire Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which fire brigades have presented all their operational staff with the jubilee medal.

Hugh Henry: This is essentially a matter for brigades. However, I understand that Central Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Lothian and Borders and Tayside have all issued operational staff with the jubilee medal.

Fire Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which fire brigades have yet to complete the issuing of jubilee medals; what percentage of operational staff in each brigade are awaiting the issue of their jubilee medal, and when each brigade expects to complete issuing jubilee medals.

Hugh Henry: I understand that Grampian, Highland and Islands, and Strathclyde have yet to complete issuing the jubilee medal to their operational staff. Some staff declined to receive a medal. The percentage still awaiting medals is as follows: Grampian 11%; Highland and Islands less than 1%, and Strathclyde 50%-60%. The brigades expect to complete the issue of the medals by the end of 2003.

Ministerial Meetings

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many UK joint ministerial meetings have been attended by its ministers in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of total joint ministerial meetings in each year.

Mr Andy Kerr: The following table lists the number of UK Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) meetings attended by Executive ministers in each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of the total JMC meetings for each year.

  

 Year
 Number of JMC 
  Meetings
 Number of Meetings 
  Attended
 Percentage of 
  Meetings Attended
%


 1999*
 1
 1
 100


 2000
 8
 8
 100


 2001
 4
 3
 75


 2002
 6
 6
 100


 2003**
 2
 2
 100


 Total
 21
 20
 95



  Notes:

  *July–December

  **January–October

National Health Service

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce into the NHS the whistle-blowing toolkit produced by Public Concern at Work in light of Her Majesty’s Government ordering the tool kit for all NHS trusts in England.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are no present plans to introduce the Public Concern at Work whistle-blowing toolkit into NHS Scotland.

  The Partnership Information Network (PIN) issued a PIN Guideline prepared by the service for the service in January last year entitled "Dealing with Employee Concerns".

  This partnership prepared document includes guidance and a model freedom of speech policy. NHSScotland employers are required to meet or exceed the guideline. It is intended to review the PIN Guidelines every two years to ensure they keep pace with recognised good employment practice.

Public Private Partnerships

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allocate funding to support any bid by Inverclyde Council to upgrade its school estate under any of the public private partnership models which it is supporting in other local authority areas.

Peter Peacock: We have advised Inverclyde Council that the invitation to submit a business case in response to the indicative offer of revenue support we made last year for a public private partnership project of the order of £80 million remains open. The Executive currently supports only one public private partnership model, but is evaluating a variation of that model which is being piloted by Argyll and Bute Council.

Scottish Water

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether statutory requirements applicable to Scottish Water apply equally to Scottish Water Solutions Ltd.

Ross Finnie: As the statutory undertaking in terms of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, Scottish Water retains full responsibility for the delivery of the Quality and Standards 2 programme. The corporate governance arrangements for Scottish Water Solutions Ltd are consistent with the corporate governance framework that applies to Scottish Water.

Visually and Hearing Impaired People

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to publish a strategy for (a) visually and (b) hearing impaired people.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has no plans to publish a specific strategy for visually or hearing impaired people. It is, however, extending the principles set out in Fair for All across the NHS to ensure that health services recognise and respond sensitively to an individual’s needs, background and life circumstances. The needs of these specific groups will also be included in an initiative which I launched with the Disability Rights Commission on 3 November.